U.S. patent number 8,544,455 [Application Number 13/759,314] was granted by the patent office on 2013-10-01 for fishing speargun.
The grantee listed for this patent is Robert Kevin Bruington. Invention is credited to Robert Kevin Bruington.
United States Patent |
8,544,455 |
Bruington |
October 1, 2013 |
Fishing speargun
Abstract
A band-powered speargun has a release mechanism incorporating a
line-drop feature for releasing a coiled line attached to a spear.
An approach to attaching the line to the spear involves a linking
ring having a size selected so that the ring passes over a
protective cone near the spear tip and is captured by an element
protruding outward from the spear shaft. The protective cone also
shields hinged barbs from impact damage.
Inventors: |
Bruington; Robert Kevin (Largo,
FL) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bruington; Robert Kevin |
Largo |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family
ID: |
47748864 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/759,314 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
12758878 |
Apr 13, 2010 |
8387602 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/22; 43/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B
6/02 (20130101); F41B 7/046 (20130101); F41B
7/04 (20130101); A01K 81/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41B
7/04 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;43/6 ;124/20.3,22
;473/578 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Ricci; John
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kiewit; David
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for attaching a spear to a spearfishing gun by means
of a line, the apparatus comprising, in combination: the spear
comprising an elongate shaft having a point attached to one of two
ends thereof; and at least one barb member pivotally attached to
the shaft adjacent the point, each at least one barb member having
a respective closed position in which no portion of the respective
barb extends outward from the spear shaft by more than a selected
barb distance; a protective member having a low flow resistance and
attached to the shaft between the point and the at least one barb,
the protective member extending outward from the spear shaft by
more than the barb distance; a stopping member attached to the
shaft at a selected position more distal from the point than the at
least one barb, the stopping member extending outward from the
spear shaft further than does the protective member; and a linking
element having an attachment eye having a diameter selected so that
the eye can pass over the protective member but not over the
stopping member, the linking element further comprising an
attachment point for the line.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the protective member comprises
a conical element connected between the spear shaft and the
point.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stopping member comprises a
conical frustum having an axial throughhole, the diameter of the
axial throughhole selected to allow the stopping member to be slid
along the shaft to a selected position therealong.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stopping member comprises a
planar tab disposed in a plane containing an axis of the spear.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to spearguns used for fishing.
2. Background Information
Spearguns are primarily made in two basic types: band powered and
pneumatic. Band powered means the spearshaft is propelled forward
by heavy latex bands which produce approximately 50 to 125 lbs of
thrust per band. Some band powered guns use as many as six bands
per gun. Pneumatic spearguns use a compressed air piston to propel
the spearshaft forward. Band powered spearguns typically have a
grip or handle, a trigger mechanism, a barrel or stock of wood or
metal, a muzzle, a butt pad, a spearshaft, a line tether which
attaches to the spearshaft, and latex bands to propel the
spearshaft.
Band powered spearguns have remained largely unchanged for the past
forty years. Most of the design improvements for the past forty
years have been focused on the trigger mechanism. Many speargun
builders have made improvement to their trigger mechanisms using
improved geometry, innovative designs, improved mating surfaces of
the trigger and the sear/latch bar, 3D computer design, modern
cutting technology, and higher quality materials. These
improvements have enabled the trigger mechanisms to hold more power
while maintaining a smooth trigger pull and perform more reliably
and safely.
Some spearguns are made using one solid and continuous piece of
wood. This is typically called a "one piece" speargun. The
mechanical components are typically installed in the wood using a
mortise, dado, slot, or pockets. Grips/handles are usually screwed
on the outer body and flush mounted. Other spearguns use a grip
assembly (usually plastic) using three main body parts. A
grip/handle assembly, a wood barrel, and a short wood butt stock.
The barrel typically inserts into socket molded into the front of
the grip assembly and the wood butt stock inserts into a socket
molded into the rear of the grip assembly. This is typically called
a three piece speargun. Typically, a plastic muzzle is slipped over
the front end of the barrel and a plastic butt pad is slipped on
the rear end of the wood butt stock. This forms the main body of
the speargun.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention is that it provides a release mechanism
for a speargun. This release mechanism is movable between a cocked
state and a released state and comprises a trigger, a latch bar and
a line drop member. The arctuate trigger has a captive end
pivotally attached to a grip panel and a free end that may
frictionally engage a line drop member. The latch bar is also
pivotally attached to the grip and has a first end captured by the
trigger when the mechanism is in the cocked state. The second end
of the latch bar protrudes outwardly from a portion of the grip
when the mechanism is in the cocked state so that it can engage a
spear. The arctuate line drop member is pivotally attached to the
grip. When the release mechanism is cocked, a first end of the line
drop member engages the free end of the trigger and a second end
depends below the grip so that a line can be wrapped around it.
A preferred embodiment of a speargun design provides a band powered
speargun with a grip assembly and a wood barrel. This creates a
"two piece" speargun. The butt pad, trigger, sear, safety, line
drop, and barrel mounting socket are all housed in a two sided grip
assembly. Once assembled, the grip panels become a very strong,
durable, reliable, and stable assembly. Here, the term "uni-grip"
is interpreted to mean: the butt pad, butt stock, trigger, sear,
safety, and line drop are all housed in "one" assembly. The barrel
installs in the uni-grip socket located at the front of the
uni-grip assembly and the muzzle mounts on the front end of the
wood barrel. The uni-grip assembly, the barrel, and the muzzle make
up the main body of this speargun.
There are many advantages to my uni-grip design. For instance: once
opened, the two piece grip panels allow full and easy access to all
internal working components of the speargun. This easy access
allows for quicker assembly, parts replacement, repairs, or
service. A person with very basic mechanical skills can repair or
replace any component in the grip assembly using only a Phillips
head screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers. The Phillips
head screwdriver is used to open the grip assembly. Once open, all
mechanical components simply drop into bosses molded into the grip
panels.
The drop-in boss design allows the end user to replace parts, make
repairs or perform periodic maintenance. This will eliminate or
greatly reduce the need for the end user to return the speargun to
the factory for warranty or service. Spearguns can be costly to
ship, require a box which is hard to find, and could be easily
damaged or destroyed during shipment. Loss of use for the end user
is also eliminated or greatly reduced because the design enables
them to make repairs or perform basic maintenance themselves.
Another advantage of the two piece grip panels is that a guide hole
and pocket can be molded in each of the grip panels to house a
rubber tube for holding a grip kill spike.
Thus, another aspect of the invention is that if provides
spearfishing apparatus comprising, in combination, a speargun and a
kill spike. Here, the kill spike comprises an elongate metal spike
having a first, sharpened end and a handgrip, which may be a
T-handle, attached to the second end. In this combination the
speargun comprises a grip portion having an elastomeric tube
captured within it and aligned with a spike insertion hole in an
external surface of the grip portion. The grip portion also has a
retention boss formed on its external surface. The retention boss
is spaced apart from the insertion hole by a selected distance so
that when the grip kill spike is fully inserted into the
elastomeric tube the handgrip bears on the retention boss, which
holds the kill spike in a stored position with its sharpened end
enclosed within the grip.
Yet another aspect of the invention is that it provides apparatus
for attaching a spear to a spearfishing gun by means of a line. The
spear has a point at one end, and is equipped with at least one
barb member that is pivotally attached adjacent a first of two ends
thereof to the spear shaft. A protective member having a low flow
resistance is provided and is attached to the shaft between the
point and the barb or barbs. A stopping member is attached to the
spear shaft at a selected position further away from the point than
the barb or barbs and extends outward from the axis of the spear
further than does the protective member. A linking element, or
quick slide adapter, has an attachment eye having a diameter
selected so that the eye can pass over the protective member but
not over the stopping member. This linking element also has an
attachment point for the line.
The protective member, which may be conical in shape, protects the
spear barbs and rivet pin from impact damage, improves hydrodynamic
flight, and improves penetration when installed on a speartip or
spearshaft.
The quick slide adapter allows a diver to quickly connect or
disconnect a line cord from the spearshaft while under water. The
quick slide adapter eliminates the often cumbersome process of
opening, attaching, and closing a conventional disconnect clip
which can be difficult when wearing heavy dive gloves. The quick
slide adapter has no moving parts, has low drag, is made of heavy
stainless steel, and is very durable and reliable.
The stopping member, which is preferably attached to a spear shaft
behind the protective member may be configured as a bullet slide
ring that is conical on the leading edge to make it more
hydrodynamic. The bullet slide ring is slightly larger in diameter
than the quick slide adapter and thus the bullet slide ring acts as
a terminal stop for the quick slide adapter. One end of the line
cord is attached to the quick slide adapter and the opposite end of
the line cord is attached to the muzzle of the speargun.
Although it is believed that the foregoing rather broad summary
description may be of use to one who is skilled in the art and who
wishes to learn how to practice the invention, it will be
recognized that the foregoing recital is not intended to list all
of the features and advantages. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that they may readily use both the underlying ideas and
the specific embodiments disclosed in the following Detailed
Description as a basis for designing other arrangements for
carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that
such equivalent constructions are within the spirit and scope of
the invention in its broadest form. Moreover, it may be noted that
different embodiments of the invention may provide various
combinations of the recited features and advantages of the
invention, and that less than all of the recited features and
advantages may be provided by some embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a speargun of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a detail elevational view of a speargun grip panel having
various components attached thereto.
FIG. 3 is an exploded detail view of the trigger and latch bar
subassembly of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an exploded detail view of a safety mechanism of FIG.
2.
FIG. 5 is a magnified view of the safety lever shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a magnified view of the safety cam shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is an exploded detail view of a line drop subassembly of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 8 is a side view of a first fishing spear and line connection
arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a side view of a second fishing spear and line connection
arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 10 is a detail perspective view of a muzzle assembly of the
speargun of FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a grip kill spike insertable into
the speargun of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In studying this Detailed Description, the reader may be aided by
noting definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout
this patent document. Wherever those definitions are provided,
those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many,
if not most instances, such definitions apply to both preceding and
following uses of such defined words and phrases. At the outset of
this Description, one may note that the terms denoting positions or
directions are defined with respect to a conventional orientation
of a speargun. Thus, `forward`, `front`, `ahead` denote relative
proximity to a muzzle of the gun while `rear`, `aft`, `back` and
the like denote relative proximity to the butt of the gun.
A preferred speargun 160, as depicted in FIG. 1, comprises a grip
assembly 2 linked to a muzzle assembly 70 by barrel 66 that is
preferably wooden. When the speargun 160 is in use, a spear 64 is
inserted through the muzzle assembly 70 and captured by a latch 54.
One or more elastomeric bands 86 are stretched between the muzzle
assembly 70 and the spear 64. A line 61 is commonly used to connect
the spear 64 to the gun 160. In the depicted embodiment, one end of
the line 61 is tied off to a press ring 81 and the other is
attached to the spear 64 by a slidable linking element 120. The
body of the line 61 is stored by being looped around a fixed line
catch 78 portion of the muzzle 70 and a movable line drop member
60.
A preferred grip assembly 2 comprises two panels 2R, 2L that make
up the main body of the speargun 160. There is a left side 2L and a
right side 2R panel. These left and right panels are mirror images
of each other. Once assembled, the speargun grip 2 becomes a very
rigid, stable, and durable unit. In a specific preferred embodiment
the grip assembly panels 2L, 2R are held together by six 11/4 inch
long sex bolts 34, four 1/2 inch sex bolts 36, and two 3/4 inch sex
bolts 38.
On each side of the preferred grip assembly 2 there is a spare
shaft holder 31 mounted to the grip assembly 2 using two stainless
screws. The spare shaft holder 31 allows a diver to carry extra
shafts on his speargun 160.
The butt area of a preferred speargun 160 has two accessory ports
molded into the grip assembly 2. These ports can serve several
purposes. An aft accessory port may be used to attach a small loop
of heavy cord or monofilament. The diver attaches a float line to
the loop for free diving or to tie off the gun when fighting a big
fish. A forward accessory port can be used for the same purpose as
the aft accessory port. The forward accessory port is approximately
one half inch in diameter and is located just forward of the aft
accessory port. The forward accessory port can also be used to
carry a fish stringer shaped like a very large safety pin. The
diver opens the stringer and threads the stringer through the
forward accessory port and then closes the stringer. The forward
accessory port can also be used to attach a tapered latex float
line bungee which is typically used by free dive
spearfishermen.
Further buoyancy control in a preferred speargun is provided by
float pockets 44 molded into the grip assembly panels 2R, 2L and
used to hold foam inserts. One of the float pockets 44 may be
formed in the butt area of the grip assembly, directly in front of
the butt pad 30. Another pocket 44 may be formed in the grip handle
32 and held in place with a plug 42.
A preferred release mechanism 150 comprises three major components:
a trigger 52, a latch bar 54, and a trigger spring 56. The trigger
52 sits in a trigger boss in the grip assembly 2. A trigger
reinforcing sleeve 52b sits in the trigger boss. A trigger pivot
pin 52c sits in the trigger reinforcing sleeve 52b. A captive end
of the trigger 52 pivots on the trigger pivot pin 52c which
provides fore and aft pivotal motion of the trigger 52. The latch
bar 54 pivots up and down on a latch bar pivot pin 54b supported by
a latch bar reinforcing sleeve 54c which sits in the latch bar
bosses formed in the grip panels. The trigger 52 and the latch bar
54 are connected by the trigger spring 56. The trigger spring 56
attaches to the trigger 52 at the trigger spring eye 56a and to the
latch bar 54 at the latch bar spring eye 56b. The latch bar 54
engages the trigger 52 in the latch bar catch 53 The trigger spring
56 provides tension on the latch bar 54 to pull the latch bar 54
down and back when the latch bar 54 releases from the latch bar
catch 53. When the latch bar releases from the latch bar catch 53,
the trigger spring 56 pulls back on the latch bar 54 and the
previously captured end of the latch bar 54 pivots up and forward,
releasing the spearshaft 64. Before release the spearshaft 64
engages the latch bar 54 in the spearshaft notch 64a. The latch bar
54 also engages an anti-roll slot (not shown) on the end of the
spearshaft 64 that is used to prevent the spearshaft 64 from
rotating side to side. Side to side rotation of the spearshaft must
be prevented to ensure the spearshaft 64 does not rotate.
In a preferred release mechanism a silencer O-ring 62 is mounted on
a molded silencer O-ring stem 62a. When the latch bar 54 releases,
the previously captured end of the bar pivots upward and hits
against the silencer O-ring 62, which deadens the sound that would
normally be made by the unprotected impact by the latch bar 54
against the bare/unprotected grip assembly 2. The silencer O-ring
62 greatly reduces the sound that a non protected trigger mechanism
makes when the gun fires. Reducing or eliminating shot noise helps
prevent spooking the fish before the shaft arrives at the intended
target. The silencer O-ring 62 also performs another very important
function. The silencer O-ring 62 reduces the upward travel distance
of the latch bar 54. Limiting the upward travel of the latch bar 54
greatly reduces the amount of pressure required to reset the latch
bar 54 into the latch bar catch 53. The shorter the distance the
latch bar 54 has to travel to reset, the less pressure is required
to reset the latch bar 54 into the latch bar catch 53. Soft reset
pressure of the spearshaft is a very important and desirable
feature on a speargun.
A preferred speargun comprises a safety mechanism 156 that can
block aft movement of the trigger when in a "safe" position and
allow movement of the trigger when in "fire". In a preferred safety
mechanism 156 a safety cam 48 is pivotally confined in molded
bosses formed in each side of the grip assembly panels 2R, 2L. The
cam 48 rotates aft sufficiently to block the trigger 52 from
pulling back far enough to release the latch bar 54 or rotates
forward enough to allow the latch bar 54 to release from the latch
bar catch 53. When the safety cam 48 is rotated to the "safe
position", the safety cam blocks the aft movement of the trigger 52
from pulling back sufficiently to release the latch bar 54.
When the trigger 52 makes contact with the safety cam 48 it is very
important to insure that the trigger 52 does not have a "rotational
effect" on the safety cam 48 as this could cause unintended
rotation of the safety cam 48 which could result in the safety cam
48 moving to the fire position resulting in an unintended release
of the spearshaft 64. To ensure there is no rotational effect
placed on the safety cam 48 by the trigger 52, a preferred
mechanism comprises a trigger notch 53a cut into the back side of
the trigger 52. With the safety cam 48 rotated to the "full safe
position", if an operator pulls back on the trigger 52, the trigger
52 pivots backward and the trigger notch 53a engages a safety cam
notch 48c which blocks the trigger 52 from traveling back far
enough to release the latch bar 54. In addition, the trigger notch
53a engaging the safety cam notch 48c prevents a rotational effect
on the safety cam 48 by the trigger 52. This prevents unintended
release of the spearshaft 64.
In a preferred embodiment, each end of the safety cam 48 extends
outwardly beyond the grip assembly panels 2R, 2L. Safety levers 50
can be mounted on each of these stems with a respective safety
lever screw 50a. This creates a dual sided safety operable by a
diver's thumb. The safety levers 50 are located in a natural
ergonomic position relative to a user's natural thumb position.
This enables the diver to comfortably move the safety lever to the
full safe or full fire position with his thumb. The end of the
safety stems, where the safety levers 50 mount have a flat and a
keyway cut into the end. This creates a double key safety stem 48a.
The double key safety stem 48a marries up with a corresponding
safety flat and keyway 48d in the safety levers 50. The combined
flat and keyway prevents the safety lever from stripping out when
operated by the diver. The full range of motion of the safety
levers 50 is controlled by a small protrusion called the safety
lever stop 50d molded into the back side of the safety levers 50.
The safety lever stop 50d sits in a small pocket molded into the
side of each grip assembly panel 2 and is called the safety lever
travel limiter 50c. A small amount of tension is required to keep
the safety from rotating to the fire or safe position. This is
provided by a safety tension O-ring 49. The safety tension O-ring
49 sits on the double key safety stem 48a on the immediate inside
of the grip assembly panel 2. When the two sides of the grip
assembly panels 2 are bolted together, this applies pressure to the
face of the safety tension O-ring 49 and this pressure creates the
necessary tension on the dual safety cam 48 to prevent unintended
rotation of the safety cam 48. The tension on the safety levers 50
can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the safety lever screws
50a.
Although the preferred safety mechanism 156 provides ambidextrous
operation, the reader will recognize that the invention is not so
limited and that a single lever arrangement could be employed.
A preferred speargun 160 also comprises a line drop member 60
arranged to release a line cord 61 when the spearshaft 64 is
released from the latch bar 54. One end of the line cord 61 is
connected to the spearshaft 64 and the opposite end of the line
cord 61 is attached to the triangle press ring 81. The bulk of the
line cord can then be formed into a coil by wrapping it between the
line drop member 60 and a line catch 78 formed on the muzzle
assembly 70.
A preferred line drop 60 comprises a line drop stem 60d protruding
from each side of the body of the line drop 60. Each line drop stem
60c sits in a line drop boss molded into a grip assembly panel. The
line drop 60 pivots forward to release the line cord 61 and
backward to reset the line drop 60 to the reload position. The
reset action of the line drop 60 is accomplished with the line drop
spring 58. One end of the line drop spring 58 is attached to the
line drop 60 at the line drop spring hole 60a. The opposite end of
the line drop spring 58 is attached to the spring boss pin 58b
which is supported by spring bosses molded into the grip assembly
panels.
In the reset position, a preferred line drop member 60 is contacted
and held in position by the trigger 52. The contact point between
the line drop 60 and the trigger 52 is the trigger/line drop
contact point 60c. The contact angle of the trigger/line drop
contact point 60c is such that when forward pressure is placed on
the line drop 60 by the line cord 61 the contact angle between the
line drop contact point 60c and the trigger 52 does not allow the
line drop 60 to "push back" the trigger 52, which could cause
unintended release of the spearshaft 64. In addition, there is a
slight upward angle on the free end of the trigger 52 at the
trigger/linedrop contact point 60c. This slight upward angle is
designed to put forward pressure on the trigger 52 when forward
pressure is applied to the line drop 60 by the line cord 61. This
upward angle prevents the trigger 52 from having a rotational
effect on the line drop member 60 in order to avoid unintended
release of the spearshaft 64. The line drop 60 is ergonomically
positioned well in front of the handle 28 to allow for a clear,
unobstructed wrapping of the line cord 61.
A preferred muzzle 70 is installed on the front end of the wood
stock 66. A flat area cut into the top of the wood stock 66 allows
the wood stock to slip into the muzzle socket 82. A preferred
muzzle 70 is held in place by two wood screws 83, one on each side
of the muzzle 70. The muzzle 70 has a spearshaft bore hole 85
(preferably approximately one half inch in diameter) to receive the
spearshaft 64. The preferred muzzle 70 has a band slot 84 having a
size selected to allow the muzzle to hold up to four speargun bands
86.
A preferred muzzle assembly also provides a muzzle kill spike 72
which is intended to be used and to function in a similar manner to
a bayonet on a rifle. The muzzle kill spike 72 is preferably
installed in a kill spike hole 72c. The muzzle kill spike 72 is
preferably sharpened to a tapered point 72b on one end, and has a
spike mounting groove on the other end. When the muzzle kill spike
72 is inserted into the kill spike hole 72c it may be secured with
a suitable screw 74 which acts as a cross pin and prevents the
muzzle kill spike 72 from pulling out of the kill spike hole
72c.
A preferred muzzle assembly 70 also comprises a line catch 78 for
receiving loops of the line cord 61. As previously noted, the line
cord 61 may be wrapped between the line drop member 60 and the line
catch 78 on the muzzle 70. An ergonomic line cord opening 76 is
designed to act as an "automatic guide" to assist the diver in
wrapping the cord onto the line catch 78. When the diver's hand
contacts the muzzle 70 slightly above the ergonomic line cord
opening 76, his/her hand is naturally guided into the line catch
78. This makes wrapping the line cord 61 almost fail safe. One end
of the line cord 61 may be attached to the triangle press ring 81.
The triangle press ring 81 installs in line boss hole 80a. Line
boss 80 extends the width of line boss hole 80a. The split or open
end of the triangle press ring 81 is inserted into line boss hole
80a and the triangle press ring 81 is then pressed closed inside
the line boss 80, which secures the triangle press ring 81 in
place. The preferred triangle press ring pivots fore and aft as the
line cord 61 requires.
A preferred arrangement for connecting a line cord 61 to a spear 64
comprises, in combination, a protective member 90 disposed near the
tip of the spear, a stopping member 130 disposed further aft closer
to the spearshaft notch 64a and a linking element, or quick-slide
adapter 120.
A preferred protective member 90 is a conical shaped device
installed adjacent the end of a screw-on type speartip or on
various types on one piece spearshafts. A significant purpose of
the protective member 90 device is to protect the rivet pin 96 and
barb or barbs 104 from being damaged if the spearshaft impacts a
hard object like rock or metal. Previous speartips and spearshafts
that do not have a protector cone 90 were subject to impact damage
when the leading edge of the barbs 104 impacted rock or metal when
the speargun fired. In this case the resulting impact can often
bend the rivet pin 96 which causes the barb or barbs 104 to seize
up, which could allow a fish to escape from the spearshaft. In
extreme cases, a hard impact can shear off the rivet pin 96,
resulting in the barbs 104 falling off the speartip or spearshaft.
A preferred protector cone 90 thus has a diameter that is large
enough to ensure that the protective cone extends further away from
the spearshaft than does any portion of the barbs 104 and rivet pin
96. This arrangement offers effective protection against impact
damage to the rivet pin 96 and the barbs 104 regardless of how
severe the impact is. The protector cone essentially eliminates the
possibility of impact damage to the barbs 104 and rivet pin 96 and
thus greatly improves performance and reliability for the
spearfisherman.
The reader will recognize that there are many ways in which a
protector cone 90 can be installed on the speartip or spearshaft.
These include, but are not limited to using any of a cross pin,
glue, swedging, or welding. A preferred method is to use a shank
thread so the protector cone 90 can be easily removed. In this
arrangement the protector cone 90 has an inner protector cone
thread 92 which screws onto the shank thread. The shank thread
stops just in front of the barbs 104 and the protector cone 90 is
tightened down on the shank thread. The protector cone 90 also
increases the hydrodynamic efficiency of the spearshaft as it
pushes through the water. The conical shape of the protector cone
90 reduces drag. Reduced drag increases shot distance and also
produces a more accurate flight of the spearshaft. The protector
cone 90 also increases the penetration of the spearshaft into the
body of the fish with a continuous and symmetrical punch. The tip
100 pierces the fish, creating the initial entry point which
creates a "pilot hole". Then the protector cone 90 impacts the
pilot hole and smoothly punches through the fish in one clean,
symmetrical motion. Once the protector cone 90 is in the fish, the
remaining hardware on the speartip/spearshaft i.e. the barbs 104,
the barb collar 106, and the tip bushing 108 slip through the fish
without resistance because the protector cone is slightly larger in
diameter than the remaining hardware. Previous speartip and
spearshaft designs that did not have the protector cone required
more power to force the spearshaft through the fish. The tip 100
would punch the initial hole and then the unprotected barbs 104
would have to tear a larger hole to finish punching through the
fish. The exposed barbs 104 had a 90 degree edge at the leading
edge. This produced more drag and did not allow the spearshaft to
push through the water as efficiently. This increased drag required
more power to drive the spearshaft through the fish. The protector
cone eliminates these problems and therefore represents a
significant improvement in the performance of the speargun.
The quick slide adapter 120 allows the user to quickly attach the
line cord 61 to the spearshaft 64 by simply sliding the attachment
eye 122 over the speartip and onto the body of the spearshaft 64.
The inner diameter of the attachment eye 122 is slightly larger
than the maximum diameter of the protector cone 90. This allows the
quick slide adapter to pass over the protective cone and other
equipment e.g. a speartip and barbs on the forward end of the
spearshaft 64. The quick slide adapter 120 can also be used on
speartips/spearshafts that do not have a protector cone 90. Once
the quick slide adapter 120 is on the body of the spearshaft 64 the
quick slide adapter 120 travels to the rear or aft end of the
spearshaft 64 where it is captured by the stopping member 130,
which may be a bullet slide ring. The shooting line attaches to the
quick slide adapter 120 in the shooting line eye 124. The quick
slide line system allows the user to quickly connect and disconnect
the shooting line. This is a significant improvement over
conventional line cord clips or disconnect systems.
The preferred bullet slide ring 130 is slightly larger in diameter
than the attachment eye 122 on the quick slide adapter 120. The
leading edge of the bullet slide ring 130 is conical in shape which
increases the hydrodynamic efficiency of the spearshaft. The bullet
slide ring 130 may be captured by a line swedge 136 which is
pressed into the body of the spearshaft 64. The impact or trailing
end of the bullet slide ring 130 has a conical bullet slide bevel
130a. The impact or trailing edge of the bullet slide ring 130a
strikes against the forward or leading edge of the line swedge
radius 136a. The trailing edge of the bullet slide ring 130a
preferably has a concave bevel that matches the convex curve on the
leading side of the line swedge radius 136a. The matching bevels of
130a and the curved radius of 136a ensure that the bullet slide
ring 130 will not get stuck or wedge onto the line swedge 136 when
they impact each other.
The quick slide adapter can also be used with other sorts of
stopping members. For example, shark fin style spearshafts have
planar tabs that are used to anchor the elastomeric bands. Shark
fin shafts and others having planar tabs that are coplanar with the
spearshaft do not require a bullet slide ring 130. In these cases
the quick slide adapter or linking element 120 is captured by the
forward edge of a shark fin tab 204.
Turning now to FIG. 11, one finds a grip kill spike 4 that is a
hand held device used by a diver to kill a fish. In a preferred
method of use a T-handle is held in the palm of the divers hand and
secured with all five fingers. This T-handle 10 is preferably about
23/4 inches long and has a cross-sectional size of about 3/4 inch
square. In addition to the preferred plastic handle, a preferred
kill spike comprises a steel rod 12 that is about 51/2 inches long
and about 5/16 inches in diameter. The preferred plastic T-handle
10 has a hole drilled at the mid-point of the 23/4 inch side to
accept an end of the steel rod 12 that is preferably grooved to
accept a screw to hold it into the handle. The opposite end of the
steel rod 12 is sharpened to a tapered point 12b.
The grip kill spike 4 is preferably inserted into the grip assembly
2 and is held in place with a section of rubber tubing 16 that is
about 11/2 inches long and that has a nominal 5/16 inch inner
diameter. The rubber tubing 16 is retained within a rubber tubing
compartment 16a molded into the grip assembly panels 2R, 2L. The
rubber tubing 16 is slightly smaller in diameter than the steel rod
12 so that when the steel rod 12 is inserted, the smaller diameter
tubing applies a slight pressure on the steel rod 12 to hold the
grip kill spike 4 in place. When the diver decides to use the grip
kill spike 4, he pulls on the handle of the grip kill spike 4 and
the grip kill spike 4 slides out of the grip assembly panels 2. To
store the grip kill spike 4 the diver simply inserts the grip kill
spike 4 back into the grip spike hole 13 in the grip assembly
panels 2 and into the rubber tubing 16.
A preferred speargun 160 comprises a T-handle safety stop or
retention boss 20 that is a small plastic ridge projecting outward
from the grip assembly 2 by about 1/8 inch. The T-handle safety
stop 20 acts a stop point in case the T-handle 10 was not fully
inserted or accidently slid out of the rubber tubing 16. In a
preferred embodiment, if the T-handle 10 slides back about 1/2 inch
it comes in contact with the T-handle safety stop 20. This contact
blocks any further movement of the grip kill spike 4. The T-handle
safety stop 20 prevents the grip kill spike 4 from accidently
falling out and potentially being lost.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to
several preferred embodiments, many modifications and alterations
can be made without departing from the invention. Accordingly, it
is intended that all such modifications and alterations be
considered as within the spirit and scope of the invention as
defined in the attached claims.
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